Revelation14
New Living Translation
1Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
2And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together.
3This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. No one could learn this song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
4They have kept themselves as pure as virgins, following the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a special offering to God and to the Lamb.
5They have told no lies; they are without blame.
6And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.
7“Fear God,” he shouted. “Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.”
8Then another angel followed him through the sky, shouting, “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen—because she made all the nations of the world drink the wine of her passionate immorality.”
9Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand
10must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb.
11The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.”
12This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.
13And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!”
14Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like the Son of Man. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
15Then another angel came from the Temple and shouted to the one sitting on the cloud, “Swing the sickle, for the time of harvest has come; the crop on earth is ripe.”
16So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested.
17After that, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.
18Then another angel, who had power to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He shouted to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are ripe for judgment.”
19So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God’s wrath.
20The grapes were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse’s bridle.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Revelation 14.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Those faithful to Christ celebrate the praises of God. (1–5). Three angels; one proclaiming the everlasting gospel; another, the downfal of Babylon; and a third, the dreadful wrath of God on the worshippers of the beast. The blessedness of those who die in the Lord. (6–13). A vision of Christ with a sickle, and of a harvest ripe for cutting down. (14–16). The emblem of a vintage fully ripe, trodden in the wine-press of God's wrath. (17–20).
vv1-5
Mount Sion is the gospel church. Christ is with his church, and in the midst of her in all her troubles, therefore she is not consumed. His presence secures perseverance. His people appear honourably. They have the name of God written in their foreheads; they make a bold and open profession of their faith in God and Christ, and this is followed by suitable actings. There were persons in the darkest times, who ventured and laid down their lives for the worship and truth of the gospel of Christ. They kept themselves clean from the wicked abominations of the followers of antichrist. Their hearts were right with God; and they were freely pardoned in Christ; he is glorified in them, and they in him. May it be our prayer, our endeavour, our ambition, to be found in this honourable company. Those who are really sanctified and justified are meant here, for no hypocrite, however plausible, can be accounted to be without fault before God. (Rev 14:6-13)
vv6-13
The progress of the Reformation appears to be here set forth. The four proclamations are plain in their meaning; that all Christians may be encouraged, in the time of trial, to be faithful to their Lord. The gospel is the great means whereby men are brought to fear God, and to give glory to him. The preaching of the everlasting gospel shakes the foundations of antichrist in the world, and hastens its downfal. If any persist in being subject to the beast, and in promoting his cause, they must expect to be for ever miserable in soul and body. The believer is to venture or suffer any thing in obeying the commandments of God, and professing the faith of Jesus. May God bestow this patience upon us. Observe the description of those that are and shall be blessed: such as die in the Lord; die in the cause of Christ, in a state of union with Christ; such as are found in Christ when death comes. They rest from all sin, temptation, sorrow, and persecution; for there the wicked cease from troubling, there the weary are at rest. Their works follow them: do not go before as their title, or purchase, but follow them as proofs of their having lived and died in the Lord: the remembrance of them will be pleasant, and the reward far above all their services and sufferings. This is made sure by the testimony of the Spirit, witnessing with their spirits, and the written word.
vv14-20
Warnings and judgments not having produced reformation, the sins of the nations are filled up, and they become ripe for judgments, represented by a harvest, an emblem which is used to signify the gathering of the righteous, when ripe for heaven, by the mercy of God. The harvest time is when the corn is ripe; when the believers are ripe for heaven, then the wheat of the earth shall be gathered into Christ's garner. And by a vintage. The enemies of Christ and his church are not destroyed, till by their sin they are ripe for ruin, and then he will spare them no longer. The wine-press is the wrath of God, some terrible calamity, probably the sword, shedding the blood of the wicked. The patience of God towards sinners, is the greatest miracle in the world; but, though lasting, it will not be everlasting; and ripeness in sin is a sure proof of judgment at hand.
Key Words
καί (kaí): and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
εἴδω (eídō): used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι) and G3708 (ὁράω); properly, to see (literally or figuratively); by implication, (in the perfect tense only) to know
ἰδού (idoú): used as imperative lo!;
ἐπί (epí): properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.
ὄρος (óros): perhaps akin to G142 (αἴρω); compare G3733 (ὄρνις)); a mountain (as lifting itself above the plain)
Σιών (Siṓn): Sion (i.e. Tsijon), a hill of Jerusalem; figuratively, the Church (militant or triumphant)
ἵστημι (hístēmi): to stand (transitively or intransitively), used in various applications (literally or figuratively)
ἀρνίον (arníon): a lambkin
μετά (metá): properly, denoting accompaniment; "amid" (local or causal); modified variously according to the case (genitive association, or accusative succession) with which it is joined; occupying an intermediate position between G575 (ἀπό) or G1537 (ἐκ) and G1519 (εἰς) or G4314 (πρός); less intimate than G1722 (ἐν) and less close than G4862 (σύν))
αὐτός (autós): the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
Cross References
Revelation 14The exact identity and numbering of the 144,000 sealed saints from the tribes of Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Explicit reference to the seal or Father's name written upon their foreheads.
Supported by JFB
The 'new song' of redemption sung before the throne, beasts, and elders.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The prophetic prototype: 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen,' announcing the doom of the oppressive city.
Supported by JFB
The prophetic call to 'put in the sickle' because the harvest/vintage is ripe.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The terrible imagery of treading the winepress of wrath alone, staining garments with blood.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Believers consecrated to God as a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
Supported by JFB
The remnant of Israel doing no iniquity, speaking no lies, with no deceitful tongue.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The blessedness of the man in whose spirit there is no guile.
Supported by JFB
Babylon as a golden cup making all the earth drunken with her wine.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The contrast between the Father's mark and the mark of the beast on the forehead/hand.
Supported by JFB
Believers coming spiritually to Mount Sion, the heavenly Jerusalem, and the church of the firstborn.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The presentation of the church to Christ as a chaste virgin, free from spiritual harlotry.
Supported by JFB
The cup of the Lord's hand full of red wine poured out for the wicked.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The promise of an eternal Sabbath rest remaining for the people of God from their labors.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven to receive dominion and execute judgment.
Supported by JFB
Christ's parable of the harvest at the end of the age gathered by angels.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The Creator formula: He who made heaven, earth, the sea, and all in them.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The historical precedent of judgment by fire and brimstone from heaven.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Christ treading the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Supported by JFB